CEP/Geography Urban and Regional Economics Seminars
Can Female Role Models Reduce the Gender Gap in Science? Evidence from Classroom Interventions in French High Schools
Julien Grenet (Paris School of Economics)
Friday 14 December 2018 13:00 - 14:30
SAL 2.04, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Sir Arthur Lewis Building, LSE, 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PH
About this event
This paper reports the results of a large-scale field experiment that was designed to assess whether short in-class interventions by external female role models can influence students’ attitudes towards science-related careers and affect their choice of field of study. Using a random assignment of the interventions to high school classrooms in the Paris Region, we find that a one-hour exposure to a female role model increases by respectively 30 percent (20 percent) the probability for girls in Grade 12 to enroll in a selective (male-dominated) STEM track in higher education. We find only limited effects of the interventions on boys’ educational choices in Grade 12, and no effect for male and female students in Grade 10. Several mechanisms can explain the observed changes in college major choices among girls in Grade 12. First, for all students, the program strongly reduces the prevalence of stereotypes associated with jobs in science and gender roles in science. Second, it raises students’ interest in science-related careers. Third, it slightly improves their math self-concept. We find that the program was particularly effective at steering high-achieving girls in Grade 12 towards selective STEM studies, and that female facilitators with a professional background had larger effects than young researchers. The results suggest, however, that role models also increase students’ awareness of female underrepresentation in science and reinforce the belief that women are discriminated in STEM careers, which could potentially explain their limited effects among low-achieving girls.
Participants are expected to adhere to the CEP Events Code of Conduct.
Directions
This event will take place in SAL 2.04, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Sir Arthur Lewis Building, LSE, 32 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PH.
The building is labelled SAL on the LSE campus map. You can also find us on Google Maps. For further information, go to contact us.Urban and Regional Economics Seminars are part of the CEP's Urban and spatial programme.